The
co-founder of the society, Colonel Olcott, was a veteran of the American Civil
War (1861-1865). He was famous for his investigations into corruption in the
armed forces, and later, after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, became a
member of the commission appointed to investigate the death of that great
American President. Olcott's contribution to the
Theosophical Society and the world in general was his unique ability to apply
the Ancient Wisdom, Theosophy, to the cultures of East and West, especially in
a practical way. It was Olcott who saw the transformation of the society into
an international organisation.